Advances in next-generation sequencing have enabled the widespread measurement of
microbiome composition across systems and over the course of microbiome assembly …

Nectar, the main floral reward for pollinators, varies greatly in composition and
concentration. The assumption that nectar quality is equivalent to its sugar (energy) …

Multicellular organisms, including plants, are colonized by microorganisms, some of which
are beneficial to growth and health. The assembly rules for establishing plant microbiota are …

In recent years, scientists have realized that evolution can occur on timescales much shorter
than the" long lapse of ages" emphasized by Darwin—in fact, evolutionary change is …

Background The development and dispersal of seeds as well as their transition to seedlings
represent perhaps the most critical stages of a plant's life cycle. The endophytic and …

Recent research has expanded our understanding of microbial community assembly.
However, the field of community ecology is inaccessible to many microbial ecologists …

Recently, microbiologists have established the existence of biogeographic patterns among a
wide range of microorganisms. The focus of the field is now shifting to identifying the …

Flowers at times host abundant and specialized communities of bacteria and fungi that
influence floral phenotypes and interactions with pollinators. Ecological processes drive …

The gut is continuously invaded by diverse bacteria from the diet and the environment, yet
microbiome composition is relatively stable over time for host species ranging from …

The ecological function of secondary metabolites in plant defence against herbivores is well
established, but their role in plant–pollinator interactions is less obvious. Nectar is the major …